According to the press release, a five percent savings in fuel burn is typical with this installation. I'm glad to see AA aggressively pursuing additional efficiencies, such as the low-drag MD-80 tailcones. Which, by the way, are being manufactured in-house to save money.

Now if they'd just impress us with an order for a certain new, impressively efficient airliner ...

New airplanes, new employees, low fares, all touchy-feely ... all of them are losers. -Gordon Bethune

Quoting AirMailer (Reply 7):According to Great circle Mapper, it looks like you get a little closer to Germany with them from ATL, and they look like they make all of Italy accessible year roud from JFK.

Three reasons. First, they added to the purchase priced. Second, they have to be maintained. With the price of jet fuel in the '90s and early '00s, the savings didn't justify the additional expenses.

Third, I can't speak for the 757, but the 737 has a five-foot wider wingspan with winglets. Without winglets, a 737-800 could park at a gate that could handle a 727-200 or MD-80. With the winglets, 737s now are more limited in the gates they can use. AA didn't want to sacrifice the flexibility until jet fuel became so expensive.

Quoting AirMailer (Reply 7):Does anyone know the price of the winglets for 757s?

Well, as a point of reference, 737NG winglets usually run around $750,000-$800k/pair. AA says the modification on the 757 is much more invasive than the 737, so figure a set of 757 winglets + installation costs for one aircraft could be pushing ~$1,000,000.

Quoting Cactus739 (Reply 13):Delta will do it soon...they do everything after everyone else does....

Now, now. This just isn't the case. For instance, Delta was first to...no, no, that was Northwest......Delta was the first...wait, no, that was United.......um.......Delta was the first to use the word "delta" in their name. See, Delta was the first to do something before somebody else did.

Actually, I could name some actual Delta firsts I know of...but they date back to the 1950s and before then...

Just how long in terms of flights or miles will these winglets pay for themselves? I think that figure may come into play for airlines who would like to get them for their fleet, but may not have the available funds right now.

Quoting DIA (Reply 17):Actually, I could name some actual Delta firsts I know of...but they date back to the 1950s and before then...

First US carrier to serve FUK and NGO directly from the Mainland USA. They served PDX-FUK and PDX-NGO till 2001 I believe. NW served FUK & NGO to HNL with a DC10 but DL served from PDX with an MD11. NW started DTW-NGO service the same year, but DL arrived first.

Delta was first to launch: DC-8, DC-9
Delta is a co-founder of Skyteam
First to change livery twice in less than 10 years.

Quoting Nudelhirsch (Reply 18):That looks like AA is not ready to order new planes, respectively the 787, yet, or at least only with a long delivery schedule. That investment is a signal that the 757 will be around for a while...

You're right, they're not. The 757s and the 767s are reasonably young, the youngest 767 in AA's fleet is only 3 years old. I think you'll see more narrow body MD80 replacements(read:738s) before you'll see 787s, IFAA decides to start acquiring new aircraft again. Whenever that may be.

I was driving past Fort Lauderdale airport the other day when I thought I saw an AA 752 with winglets.... I was a bit surprised as I didn't know they had any... but since I was moving quite fast on I-95 at the time I was not 100% sure that was what I had seen. Since they already have 8 in service according to that link, I guess I was right! Nice to know!